Looker vs SAP Analytics Cloud
embedded BI head-to-head for ERP teams: evidenced capabilities, published pricing, and which ERPs each actually integrates with.
| Starting price | Quote-based | Subscription |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Company size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Stated ERP integrations | NetSuite, SAP, Oracle Fusion Cloud | SAP |
| Vendor | Google Cloud | SAP |
Our take
Where Looker leads
- Stronger evidenced coverage on 10 of the 26 capabilities where they differ (led by calculated fields / custom formula language and multi-tenant row-level security for embedding).
- Stated NetSuite, Oracle Fusion Cloud integration the alternative doesn't list.
Where SAP Analytics Cloud leads
- Stronger evidenced coverage on 16 of the 26 capabilities where they differ (led by native/prebuilt erp connectors and predictive forecasting / automl).
Where they differ
The 26 capabilities (of 45 in the embedded BI taxonomy) where the evidence separates them, biggest gaps first. “Not evidenced” means our research found no public documentation of this capability — the vendor may still offer it. Confirm on a demo.
| Capability | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calculated fields / custom formula languageData Modeling & Semantic Layer | Core strength | Not evidenced |
| Native/prebuilt ERP connectorsData Connectivity | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Predictive forecasting / AutoMLAI & Augmented Analytics | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Key-driver / root-cause analysisAI & Augmented Analytics | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Multi-tenant row-level security for embeddingEmbedded & Developer Analytics | Core strength | Not evidenced |
| Multidimensional / integrated planning modelsEnterprise Planning & Forecasting | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| What-if scenario modelingEnterprise Planning & Forecasting | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Collaborative planning workflow / approvalsEnterprise Planning & Forecasting | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Mobile-optimized dashboardsDashboards & Visualization | Not evidenced | Supported Responsive layouts for web and mobile |
| Geospatial / map visualizationsDashboards & Visualization | Not evidenced | Supported Geospatial and advanced visualizations |
| Pixel-perfect / paginated report layoutsDashboards & Visualization | Not evidenced | Supported Digital boardroom for executive presentations |
| Scheduled and incremental data refreshData Connectivity | Supported Caching policies and persistent derived tables (PDTs) | Not evidenced |
| White-label / full-theming customizationEmbedded & Developer Analytics | Supported Private and public embedding with custom branding | Not evidenced |
| REST API for automation and provisioningEmbedded & Developer Analytics | Supported Full REST API | Not evidenced |
| Scheduled report/dashboard deliveryReporting, Alerting & Distribution | Supported Scheduled delivery and alerting | Not evidenced |
| Data-driven alerts on thresholdsReporting, Alerting & Distribution | Supported Scheduled delivery and alerting | Not evidenced |
| Drag-and-drop dashboard/report authoringDashboards & Visualization | Supported Looker Studio for free-form visualization | Core strength |
| Interactive filtering, drill-down and cross-filteringDashboards & Visualization | Supported Explores for self-service querying | Core strength |
| Broad chart and visualization libraryDashboards & Visualization | Supported Custom visualizations and the Marketplace | Core strength |
| Governed semantic layer / centralized metricsData Modeling & Semantic Layer | Core strength | Supported Integration with SAP Datasphere for governed models |
| Natural-language queryAI & Augmented Analytics | Supported Gemini-powered natural-language querying via Conversational Analytics | Core strength |
| Automated insight / anomaly detectionAI & Augmented Analytics | Supported Agentic insights and automated decisions | Core strength |
| Embed SDK / JavaScript client libraryEmbedded & Developer Analytics | Core strength | Supported APIs for content and data integration; embedding SAC stories into external portals |
| Role-based access controlGovernance & Administration | Supported Centralized permissions, model access and content folders | Core strength |
| Row-/column-level securityGovernance & Administration | Core strength | Supported Role-based access and data access control |
| Planning write-back to source systemEnterprise Planning & Forecasting | Supported Data actions and write-back integrations | Core strength |
Both grade identically on the other 19 capabilities — see each product's full profile: Looker, SAP Analytics Cloud.
Looker vs SAP Analytics Cloud — FAQs
Is Looker or SAP Analytics Cloud better for ERP integration?
Both state integrations with SAP. Looker additionally lists NetSuite, Oracle Fusion Cloud. Always verify the connector against your ERP version with a reference customer.
Which is cheaper, Looker or SAP Analytics Cloud?
Neither publishes a list price — both quote. Ask each for the all-in first-year cost at your seat count, as one number, and compare those.
Get pricing for both
Tell us your ERP, seat count and must-haves and we'll come back with an independent view of what Looker and SAP Analytics Cloud should each cost you — and whether a third option belongs on your shortlist.